TAUSEEF AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Jan 8: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday assured complete relief to the 50 students affected by the controversy surrounding the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) Medical College, announcing that they will be accommodated through supernumerary seats and that the government will not withdraw the grant-in-aid extended to the university.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, the Chief Minister made it clear that the future of the affected students would not be compromised under any circumstances, stressing that all 50 candidates had qualified the NEET examination purely on merit. He said safeguarding their academic careers was both a legal and moral responsibility of the government.
“These children have cleared NEET on merit. It is our responsibility to protect their education and ensure that their careers do not suffer because of administrative or institutional failures. They will be adjusted, and there is no question of abandoning them,” Omar Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister said the government would create supernumerary seats to accommodate the affected students and would make every effort to place them in medical colleges located closest to their homes so that their studies are not disrupted. He added that arranging such seats was not a difficult task for the administration and that the process would be handled sensitively.
“We will try to ensure that students are accommodated in institutions nearest to their homes so that they do not face unnecessary hardship. Adjusting 50 students through supernumerary seats is not a complicated exercise for the government,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the future of SMVDU and its medical college, Omar Abdullah reiterated that the government would not withdraw the grant-in-aid already provided to the university. “We have given financial assistance to the university, and we are not among those who take back money that has already been granted,” he asserted.
Referring to the regulatory lapses that led to the present crisis, the Chief Minister raised serious questions about the inspection and approval process of the medical college. He said the matter had already been discussed earlier at a meeting in Samba in the presence of the Health Minister, but accountability still needed to be fixed.
“Who conducted the inspection? If inspections were carried out, how did the college clear them? These are serious questions that need clear answers,” he said, adding that responsibility must be determined by questioning the SMVDU authorities, including those at the helm of the institution.
Reacting to political criticism and statements from opposition parties, including the BJP, Omar Abdullah said that if any political party was comfortable with institutions failing to meet prescribed standards, then it must also support fixing accountability and ensuring corrective measures.
“If anyone is satisfied with substandard institutions, then they must also accept the responsibility that comes with it. Accountability cannot be selective,” he remarked.
While assuring immediate relief to the affected students, the Chief Minister emphasized that the larger issue was the potential loss of medical seats for the region in the long run. He warned that such setbacks could have serious consequences for aspiring doctors in Jammu and Kashmir if systemic flaws were not addressed.
“Today we are adjusting 50 students, but tomorrow we must ensure that such situations do not arise again. The loss of medical seats is a serious matter, and we need to ensure that institutions meet standards so that our students do not suffer in the future,” Omar Abdullah said.
The assurance from the Chief Minister has brought temporary relief to the affected students and their families, even as questions continue to be raised over regulatory oversight and institutional accountability in the SMVDU medical college episode.
